Do you know what vitamin deficiency leads to rickets? If you do not have this information, then we will present it right now.
General information about the disease
Before telling you about which vitamin deficiency leads to rickets, you should tell what this disease is.
Rickets is a disease that occurs predominantly in young children. The occurrence of this deviation should immediately alert parents and doctors. Indeed, very often it indicates that the child does not receive the necessary substances from the food he consumes. In this regard, it is recommended to review his diet.
What changes are observed in the disease
To avoid the development of this deviation, parents should definitely know which vitamin deficiency leads to rickets. After all, this is the only way to protect your child from this dangerous disease.
As you know, with rickets, the bones of the upper and lower extremities of the child begin to gradually soften and deform. By the way, the human spine is often subjected to this process.
Children's rickets is commonly called a social disease. This fact is due to the fact that such a disease is most often found in children with extremely unfavorable living conditions. And despite the improvement in the level of care for such children, this deviation is a serious danger, especially if the child reaches the age of 6-18 months.
Main symptoms
All people who have small children should know about the lack of which vitamin leads to rickets. After all, if you lose sight of this information, then it is likely that the bones of the child will begin to collapse very soon. As a rule, with such a disease, a person has the following symptoms:
- constant joint pain;
- delay in tooth formation;
- tooth deformity;
- slow growth;
- muscle spasms and cramps;
- deformation of the spine, as well as other bone deformities;
- weight loss;
- stoop;
- weakness.
If at least one of the above symptoms is observed in your child, then you should definitely visit a doctor. If you do not have such an opportunity, then you should definitely find out which vitamin deficiency leads to rickets (a photo of the disease is presented in this article). Only in this way will you be able to independently begin the treatment of this disease.
By the way, with timely diagnosis and treatment of the presented disease, the risk of developing serious complications is minimal.
Lack of which vitamin leads to rickets: C or D?
To answer this question, it is necessary to consider the properties of both vitamins in more detail. After all, this is the only way to understand whether its deficiency in the body is the cause of the development of such a serious disease as rickets.
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid is an organic compound that is related to glucose and is the main substance in the human diet that helps the normal functioning of bone and connective tissue. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that performs the biological functions of restoring metabolic processes.
What does scarcity lead to?
In nature, ascorbic acid is found in many vegetables and fruits. Its deficiency in the body leads to a disease such as scurvy.
The main symptoms of this disease are a weak immune system, bleeding gums, slow tissue repair after injuries (wounds, bruises), dry and pale skin, brittle nails, hair loss and fading, fatigue, lethargy, rheumatoid pain in the limbs and sacrum, loss and loosening of teeth, as well as fragility of blood vessels.
Vitamin D
Lack of which vitamin leads to rickets? The answer to the question is contained in this section of the article.
Vitamin D is a group of biologically active substances. They can be synthesized in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays orto enter the human body with food.
The main function of vitamin D is to ensure the absorption of phosphorus and calcium from food. It happens in the small intestine. In addition, a number of clinical studies have shown that vitamin D is actively involved in all metabolic processes, regulation of cell reproduction and stimulation of the synthesis of a number of hormones.
It is impossible not to say that the presented element, accumulated by the human body during the summer, can be used up in the winter months.
Effects of shortages
Vitamin D deficiency is a fairly common phenomenon that affects a large number of the world's inhabitants every year. Vitamin deficiency of this substance plays a major role in the development of rickets in young children. Moreover, long-term vitamin D deficiency often leads to cancer, as well as an increased likelihood of developing osteoporosis.
In the course of research, experts have also found that a lack of vitamin D can cause a weakened immune system, as well as the development of serious cardiovascular diseases.
Summarize
So, the lack of which vitamin leads to rickets: vitamin C or D. In connection with all of the above, we can safely say that both of these substances are directly related to the strength of bones and teeth in young children and adults. However, such a serious disease as rickets can only occur due to vitamin D deficiency.therefore, it should be included in your diet every day and from a young age.
What foods contain vitamins C and D?
Now you know what vitamin deficiency leads to rickets. Fish or lemon - what to choose in order to make up for the lack of the required substance? Of course, the first product. After all, it is no secret to anyone that all varieties of fish, as well as fish oil, contain a large amount of vitamin D. But to get it, you can use a not quite standard method. To do this, you just need to be in the sun more often or sunbathe. In this case, your skin will produce the required substance on its own, all signs of incipient rickets will gradually disappear.
As for vitamin C, it should also be taken in the required quantities. If you do not want to buy ascorbic acid in the form of dragees or tablets, then we suggest that you include special products in your diet.
As you know, vitamin C is found in fruits such as tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruits and others. However, they are highly discouraged for those who have increased acidity of gastric juice, gastritis or ulcers. In this case, it is better to replace the mentioned products with cranberry juice, baked potatoes and other ingredients.
Who is more likely to get the disease?
Most of all rickets develops in:
- Babies who were born prematurely, or who were full-term but underweight (less than three kg).
- artificial children. Despite the fact that vitamin D is included in milk formulas, phosphorus and calcium are absorbed from such foods several times worse than from mother's milk. Due to a deficiency of minerals, rickets occurs.
- Children who suffer from food allergies, atonic diathesis, liver diseases, exudative enteropathy and diseases of the biliary tract. All of these conditions hinder the absorption of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus.
- People taking certain medications that interfere with the absorption of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus.
- People who are unable to move actively and frequently.
